7. Sanders probably won’t run for president again
- U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT)said that “it’s very, very unlikely” that he’d launch another presidential campaign, which makes sense considering he’s 78 years old already and would be in his 80s the next go around.
- While interviewing with the Washington Post, Sanders did say that in the next presidential election, “you’re going to see another candidate carrying the progressive banner.”
6. 10 million tests by the end of the week
- According to President Donald Trump, the United States is prepared to pass 10 million tests by the end of this week, with more testing and funding coming online. He added this will lead to an “investment to conduct more tests than any other country on earth.”
- Alabama’s testing has continued to increase testing with the percent of those tests coming back positive slowly falling, experts declared last month that a positive testing rate under 10% a day indicated enough testing was being done and Alabama has been under that rate since April 25, which doesn’t factor in that some labs don’t report negative tests.
5. Marshall wants China to be investigated
- While New York Governor Andrew Cuomo (D) is calling the coronavirus the “European virus,” 16 state attorneys general, including Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall, signed a letter that requests “Congressional Hearings into the communist Chinese Government and its role in the COVID-19 pandemic.”
- The letter also says that these hearings should be held because recent reports “suggest that the communist Chinese government willfully and knowingly concealed information about the severity of the virus.” Republicans have recently been coming out against China and asking that they be held accountable for their efforts to cover up the pandemic.
4. Tuberville wants Sessions to apologize
- After President Donald Trump appeared on Fox News Channel and continued slamming his former Attorney General Jeff Sessions, Sessions responded by setting the record straight on his appointment and his recusal by saying, “The President offered me the job, I took it, I stood up for the truth and performed at the highest levels.”
- This did not sit well with former Auburn head football coach Tommy Tuberville, who issued a press release demanding Sessions apologize to the president and incorrectly asserting that Sessions didn’t need to recuse himself from the Russia investigation, when even Trump’s current Attorney General William Barr acknowledges Sessions had to recuse.
3. Relief funds won’t be used to expand Medicaid
- The coronavirus pandemic has provided a platform for some to advocate more for expanding Medicaid, and while the Alabama Democratic Party has suggested that the relief funds provided through the CARES Act to the state could pay for the expansion, that’s false.
- It turns out, the U.S. Treasury Department has specifically said that states can’t use CARES Act funds to pay for Medicaid. In general, federal funds can’t be used for Medicaid expenses, so Governor Kay Ivey’s question remains, “How do you pay for it?”
2. Doug Jones only believes women sometimes
- U.S. Senator Doug Jones (D-AL) has been a vocal supporter of former Vice President Joe Biden, and that support has continued even amid the sexual assault allegations brought against Biden by former Senate aide Tara Reade.
- Jones has called Reade’s “credibility” into question recently, and now he has said that Republicans are “the pot calling the kettle black” for them overlooking allegations brought against President Donald Trump. Previously, Jones has defended Biden against sexual misconduct and segregationist issues as well.
1. Alabama is one of the most open states right now
- As most states remain shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic, Alabama has reopened a majority of businesses while maintaining new sanitation standards and customer capacity, but according to the lobbying firm Multistate Associates, the decision to reopen restaurants, salons and other businesses made Alabama the fourth most open state.
- Before Governor Kay Ivey decided to let more businesses open, Alabama ranked as the 22nd most open state but, currently, South Dakota ranks first in being open, second is Oklahoma, followed by North Dakota at third. Unshockingly, New York is ranked 50th.
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